Departure time 10:00 am: The bus will depart promptly at 10:00 am. If for any reason you miss the bus, alternate transportation is not available.

Departure Location: Osceola Heritage Park’s Exhibition Building: Buses will depart from the exhibition building located in the (OHP). Refer to the parking pass for location. Check in at the exhibition building lobby prior to departure.

Travel by bus to visit three local livestock farming operations. Please note this is a farm tour and participants may expect to walk over uneven paths up to one half mile. Though every reasonable precaution will be taken to prevent injury, participants must sign a liability waiver in order to visit the farms. Closed toe shoes are required and no high heels will be permitted. Dress comfortably for the heat. Bring sun protection of preference (ie: sunglasses, hat, sunscreen, sun protective clothing). Lunch will be provided by Nine’s Mine Ranch (grass feed beef burgers). Light refreshments (water, sodas and snacks) will also be provided throughout the day.

Lake Meadow Naturals

Lake Meadow Naturals is a local egg farm producing fabulous chicken and duck eggs from happy hens. Our chicken eggs have a lovely brown shell that’s good for boiling as they retain their farm freshness. We started with a flock of 100 baby chicks in 2004. Our duck eggs are produced from happy Khaki Campbell and Peking ducks basking on Lake Meadow Farms, right here in Central Florida. All have a delicious yolk that will take you back to a more traditional era. Our poultry is a healthy, natural product that has never received any growth hormones or antibiotics. All are fed an exclusively vegetarian diet with no animal by-products and are raised in stress-free conditions, allowing them to reach their full potential. All of our poultry is minimally processed and USDA inspected for wholesomeness. Our feed is locally ground and our egg cartons are produced right here in Zellwood from recycled Orlando newsprint. We believe in sustaining a better environment for all of us and partner with various local farms for grass fed beef, Berkshire pork, lamb, and goat. We supply to local hotels, resorts, and retail specialty markets in Central Florida. Check us out at http://lakemeadownaturals.com.

Nine’s Mine Ranch Beef

The company was formed by Major League Baseball player Kyle Farmsworth and his brother-in-law Chad Pert. Kyle was raised in Georgia and was drafted right out of high school; instead he chose to attend Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College where he received a full scholarship. He played for one year before being recruited by the Chicago Cubs. His desire to be a rancher and cattleman came from the years he worked on his grandfather’s cattle ranch in Missouri. His commitment and dedication have always been to produce top quality grass-fed-beef. In 2005 his focus was to supply local raised premium grass-fed-beef with no additives into the Florida and Georgia markets. The company has 3 locations: the operations center in St. Cloud Florida next to 180 acres for cattle grazing; sales office in Alpharetta, Georgia; and a distribution center at our 2,200 acres ranch in Nashville, Georgia. Check us out at http://ninesmineranchbeef.com.

Linden Hollow Sheep Farm

Linden Hollow Sheep Farm is managed by Sherry Lee. The farm has a focus on herding dogs and offers training and trials with both sheep and ducks. Haired sheep have shown to perform best in Central Florida’s sub-tropical climate and have a better resistance to parasites than other types of sheep. This farm has a productive grazing system and well managed pastures. Check us out on Facebook.

Diamond P Beef
Diamond P Beef is a family owned business in Osceola County FL. We have been raising Angus steers for almost 20 years. Our cows go straight from their mommas right to the pasture, where they spend their lives eating a diet of Rye, Barley and Malt grasses. They receive no antibiotics or hormones, and are never fed grain or fillers. Growing a cow on grass takes, on average, a year longer than grain fed beef, but we believe the benefits are worth it. Follow the link to view our website, http://www.diamondpbeef.com/.

1:00-5:00. Fruit and Vegetable Tour* -- TOUR IS FULL

UPDATE: Bring a photo ID for entrance to the Land
Pavilion at Disney’s’ EPCOT

Host: Richard Tyson, UF/IFAS Orange County Extension Director

Boarding time: 12:45 pm: Arrive by 12:45 to sign the liability waiver and board the bus

Departure time 1:00 pm: The bus will depart promptly at 1:00 pm.If for any reason you miss the bus, alternate transportation is not available.

Departure Location: Osceola Heritage Park’s Exhibition Building: Buses will depart from the exhibition building located in the (OHP). Refer to the parking pass for location. Check in at the exhibition building lobby prior to departure. * Please note there will be an additional $20 charge when registering for this tour for admission to the Land Pavilion at Disney’s’ EPCOT.

Travel by bus to visit two horticulture operations. Please note this is a farm tour and participants may expect to walk over uneven paths up to one half mile. Though every reasonable precaution will be taken to prevent injury, participants must sign a liability waiver in order to participate in the tour. Closed toe shoes are required and no high heels will be permitted. Dress comfortably for the heat.Bring sun protection of preference (ie: sunglasses, hat, sunscreen, sun protective clothing). Water, soda and light snack provided.

The Land Pavilion at Disney’s’ EPCOT – Hydroponics and Sustainable Agriculture

The Land Pavilion at Epcot is a wonderful place to introduce experienced and novice farmers to hydroponic gardening. The Land Pavilion researches sustainable agricultural practices such as Integrated Pest Management (IPM), crop rotation, inter-cropping, irrigation techniques and hydroponics. Hydroponic farming is key to large-scale sustainable agriculture, as many rotations of crops can be produced with no disturbance of the soil. Nutrient solutions can be recycled, and hydroponics, despite the fact that it is primarily driven by nutrient solutions in water, uses less water than traditional farming methods. Hydroponics also allows production of food crops in areas that traditionally are too dry, cold, or otherwise inhospitable to traditional farming methods. The Back Stage Land
Tour takes you behind the scenes, explaining and visualizing the various successful methods and techniques used to produce fruit and vegetable crops hydroponically.

Agri-tourism and Local Foods at Long & Scott Farms

Long & Scott Farms, a 1,200 acre vegetable farm in central Florida, celebrated its 50th anniversary in February 2012. Its longevity is due in part to the innovative choices made over the last 10 years to diversify operations from a strictly wholesale producer of Zellwood sweet corn, cabbage, and pickling cucumbers to also include a local foods and agri-tourism oriented marketing strategy. The most successful of these alternative farm concepts is Scott’s Maze Adventures, an annual fall corn maze which had an attendance of nearly 30,000 annually in recent years.

A seasonal retail farm market and café have also been established which is a hub for the consumer supported Produce Club providing 100 members weekly baskets of fresh harvested local produce. Other additions to the farm operations have been a catch-and-release fishing pond, holiday and special events which include hay ride tours of the farm. The farm also uses social media Facebook and Twitter, has a web-based presence www.longandscottfarms.com, as well as an on-line monthly newsletter which allows them to market to new audiences.

2:00-5:00. Food Safety? Oops, I Thought I Was Exempt* Speaker Bios
The Food Safety Modernization Act was passed into law in January of 2010. Although there are situations where farmers may not have to implement the entire regulation, all farmers regardless of size should expect to develop and implement a plan with Good Agricultural Practices on their farm.
Moderator/Speaker: Allison Meharg, UF/IFAS Escambia County Extension Agent* Presentation (combined
presentation with Kiley Harper-Lasen, below)
Speaker: Bob Hochmuth, UF/IFAS Suwannee Valley Agricultural Extension Center Multi-County Extension Agent
Speaker: Kiley Harper-Larsen, Primus Labs, Business Development Southeastern USA* Presentation (combined
presentation with Allison Meharg, above)

2:00-5:00. Cordon D'Or Florida Culinary Academy Awards
In 2008, Cordon d' Or - Gold Ribbon, Inc. added the Florida Culinary Academy Awards to its annual International Culinary Academy Awards program. Plans to recognize the many achievements of people on the culinary scene across the State of Florida were initiated. Now into its fifth year, it became a great success and received tremendous support and interest. Read all about the Florida Program on www.florida-americasculinaryparadise.com and you will recognize many previous winners of the Florida Culinary Academy Awards.
Host: Noreen Kinney, Culinary Academy Awards

We are pleased to host our area farmers and ranchers as they display their livestock in the KVLS Livestock Arena. Livestock will be displayed 5:00pm-7:00pm Friday and 7:00am-6:00pm Saturday. There is no livestock display on Sunday.

11:00-12:00. Using Social Networking & the Internet to Market Your Product B L SC T * Speaker Bios
As more and more business moves from storefront to the internet, maintaining contact with customers has evolved into ‘social media’ and other tools of the internet. This session is designed to introduce these tools and how to get the most out of them. Topics will include managing your internet presence, understanding customers and developing quality material to help sell your product.
Moderator: Michael Davis, UF/IFAS Baker County Extension Director
Speaker: Sean McCoy, UF/IFAS Suwannee Valley Agricultural Extension Center Regional Specialized Extension Agent* Presentation

11:00-12:00. A Chef's Perspective of Market Opportunities B G SC * Speaker Bios
What does it take to win the hearts of chefs and expand your markets? Join us in this delightful session to learn which crops are “hot” and which crops are not, the crop characteristics that are important to chefs, and what you can do to develop healthy business relationships with restaurants and other outlets.
Moderator: Anna Prizzia, UF/IFAS Florida Farm to School Program
Speaker: Chef David Bearl, UF/IFAS Program for Resource Efficient Communities

11:00-12:00. Quantifying Grazing Resources in Cattle and Goat Operations L
What is grazing capacity? How much forage do cattle and goats need? What tools are available to estimate forage production in a farm? This session will make you realize you are a “grass farmer” first and producer second. The information provided will help you develop a production plan for your operation that matches the forage resources available to you.
Moderator: Ken Johnson, UF/IFAS Desoto County Extension Agent
Speaker: Mark Warren, UF/IFAS Flagler County Extension Agent* Presentation

11:00-12:00. Update on New Poultry Rules B L
The Direct Sale Farm Operation rule was created to provide regulatory and economic relief to small farm operations that produce and sell poultry and egg products in Florida. This session will provide an overview of the new requirements when direct marketing eggs and dressed poultry by representatives from FDACS and USDA.
Moderator: Elena Toro, UF/IFAS Suwannee County Extension Agent
Speaker: Lee Cornman, Division of Food Safety, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services* Presentation

1:30-3:00. Creative Resourcing and Financing BF B * Speaker Bios
Securing funding for a small farm operation can be frustrating. In this enlightening session you will hear from Farm Credit and Farm Service Agency experts who will provide you with up-to-date information on current loan options and opportunities. You will also hear from SARE experts about USDA-funded grants opportunities for established farmers who are interested in conducting sustainable agriculture research, with an education/outreach outcome to their projects. This session will be highlighted by a young farming couple who will share their journey through the financing maze.
Moderator: Michael Davis, UF/IFAS Baker County Extension Director
Speaker: Erin Vermillion, Volusia County USDA Farm Service Agency * Presentation
Speaker: Marcus Boone, Farm Credit of Florida * Presentation
Speaker: Candace Pollock, Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education * Presentation
Speaker: Jonathan and Amy Morris, Morris Family Farms * Presentation

4:30-5:30. Are You Working On or In Your Business? B * Speaker Bios
You started your farm business because you are good at growing crops, or raising animals! This is what you are happiest at; this is why you went into business! However as your business begins to grow you quickly realize you need to become more efficient. In this enlightening session a past business owner will provide you with ideas of how you can organize yourself so you can begin to work on your on your business not in it.
Moderator: Michael Davis, UF/IFAS Baker County Extension Director
Speaker: Ed Skvarch, UF/IFAS St. Lucie County Extension Agent

4:30-5:30. Agribusiness Management: Budgeting Resources for Livestock Producers B L
In this session we will walk through the application of enterprise budgeting to various livestock operations. We will discuss the inputs and outputs of the budgeting process and how you can gain substantial marketing and production power through the process. We will then work through some examples and end with the dissemination of some take home resources for your farm.
Moderator: Joe Walter, UF/IFAS Brevard County Extension Agent
Speaker: Ken Johnson, UF/IFAS Desoto County Extension Agent

4:30-5:30. Tropical Root Crop Production BF SC * Speaker Bios
Florida has long been a melting pot of Latin, Caribbean, and African cultures and the typical American consumer’s palate has diversified exponentially over the last ten years. Participants will learn about the production methods and marketing strategies for cassava, turmeric, and taro along with other tropical root crops.
Moderator/Speaker: Mary Lamberts, UF/IFAS Miami-Dade Extension Agent * Presentation * Handout 1 * Handout 2 * Handout 3
Speaker: Sylvia Gordon, Landscape by Sylvia Gordon

9:00-12:00. Beekeeping* Speaker Bios
In this class the farmer will be introduced to the many aspects of beekeeping as it pertains to farm operations. They will hear from experts in commercial beekeeping, a state inspector, and an extension agent regarding beekeeping and how it can enhance their farm operation.
Moderator: Jessica Sullivan, UF-IFAS Osceola County Extension Service
Speaker: Mario Jakob, D&J Apiary, Inc.

9:00-12:00.Chute Side Manners in Cattle Farms and Other Important Practices
Chute Side Manners is the concept of working cattle in a way that is less stressful for you and your livestock. Good chute-side stewardship not only impacts beef quality and the food we produce, it saves money. Topics will include: chute-side work, cattle handling, safety and cattle selection. This session will build on the topics presented Saturday.
Moderator: Ken Johnson, UF/IFAS Desoto County Extension Agent
Speaker: Mark Warren, UF/IFAS Flagler County Extension Agent
Speaker: Ashley Fluke, UF/IFAS Osceola County Extension Agent
Speaker: Joe Walter, UF/IFAS Brevard County Extension Agent

9:00-12:00. Pasture Raised Pork A-Z
Heritage pigs are the top choice for pork among today’s best chefs. These breeds are enjoying a renaissance of interest across the country. Learn what it takes to raise pigs in pastures. The speaker for this session serves on the Board of Directors for the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy.
Moderator: Elena Toro, UF/IFAS Suwannee County Extension Agent
Speaker: Tim Safranski, University of Missouri, Swine State Swine Breeding Specialist

9:00-12:00. Vegetable Diagnostics 101: Insects and Diseases* Speaker Bios
Have you invested time, money, and energy into vegetables only to lose them to insects and diseases? This special hands on session will help you know to identify and address common vegetable insect pests and diseases. Hands on diagnostic session led by Amanda Hodges, Doctor of Plant Medicine. Students will help staff hands on diagnostic stations using live samples and microscopes. Live specimens and experts will help you apply what you learn directly on the farm.
Moderator: Norm Leppla, UF Entomology and Nematology * Presentation
Moderator: Amanda Hodges, Assistant Extension Scientist, Entomology and Nematology,
University of Florida, Gainesville
Speaker: Mary Beth Henry, UF/IFAS Polk County Extension Agent * Presentation
Speaker: Hugh Smith, UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center * Presentation * Handout
Speaker: Gary Vallad, UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center * Presentation

9:00-12:00. Aquaponics* Speaker Bios
The Seminar will provide information and training resources to those seeking knowledge on the polyculture of freshwater fish in a recirculating aquaponics system. Attendees will learn about nutrient manipulation in relationship to plant variety, water quality and temperature parameters that need to be assessed, and gain clear insights into the importance of each parameter as it relates to the aquaponics system.
Moderator: Roy Beckford, UF/IFAS Lee County Extension Agent
Speaker: Richard Tyson, UF/IFAS Orange County Extension Director * Presentation
Speaker: Mr. Jorge Pang, Selovita, LLC * Presentation